Colruyt Group Technics’ Post

Our very own Frank Grech is tonight's guest speaker at the Victorian Branch Spring Technical Night of The Institute of Quarrying Australia (IQA), hosted by Alex Fraser in Epping. He'll be talking about engineering a secure and sustainable supply of sand for construction. The focus is on: 🏗 Manufactured sand vs Engineered sand 🏗 Supply chain security 🏗 Washing without water https://lnkd.in/ghKgusE6 👇Here's a quick synopsis 👇 Demand is growing for alternatives to natural sand in concrete. Quarries see an opportunity to supply more manufactured sand, but it must be better quality. The Kemco V7 technology is designed to produce an ideal “Engineered Sand” for concrete. Precise control of shape, grading, contamination and consistency means engineered sand completely replaces natural sand in concrete. For concrete plants this means supply chain security, stronger concrete using less cement and lower CO2 emissions. For quarries it means greater utilisation of crusher dust, lower costs and “washing without water”. The result is an innovative, profitable and sustainable alternative to natural sand. #quarries #quarrying #concrete #construction #sand #manufacturedsand #engineeredsand #supplychain #supplychainsecurity #carbonemissions #washingwithoutwater

One of the key strategies adopted by realty players is the repurposing of construction waste into something useful. Concrete rubble, bricks, timber, and metal, are now being salvaged and reincarnated in novel ways.  https://lnkd.in/euSwje_D

Cabrico Brick Co - What is Cabrico and the Clay Brick Association doing to minimize our Carbon Footprint. “What is Carbon Footprint? - Carbon footprint is the total amount of greenhouse gases (including carbon dioxide and methane) that are generated by our actions.”   So its most important to consider what impact the production and delivery of the product has on the environment and what we doing to minimise our carbon footprint.                As a member of the Clay Brick Association, Cabrico also aspires sustainable production. Some examples of this would be found in the following areas;   Our primary raw material is clay, mined on site, and therefore local. This material is in abundance as a natural source. Mining takes place under the relevant regulatory authorities. Rehabilitation compliance ensures that the land will be available for future generations. Examples of this may be seen at Tygervalley Shopping Centre in Durbanville and Val de Vie in Paarl, developments are found in old brickmaking mining areas, and even local to our site, the Devonbosch Development. Beneficiation of these locally sourced materials takes place with local labour, therefore contributing to local employment. Unlike building materials imported internationally or from other areas of South Africa. The proximity of the product in regard to the project sites, ensures substantial savings. Improving Energy efficiency for electricity usage, diesel usage for mobile and thermal energy (coal in our case) for the firing of bricks has over the past decades been the focus of projects and capital investment. Some recent examples are purchasing more energy efficient forklifts (diesel) and installing a new mixer/extruder combination (electricity) as recently as January 2022. A technology switch for the firing of the clay bricks would ensure an almost 50% reduction in coal usage as an energy source as well as contribute significantly to our emissions and carbon footprint reduction. This capital intensive project is under development and should be implemented through 2022. Further energy reduction and avoidance of coal is found at the drying stage, where wood waste derived from sawmills, as well as old pallets, is burnt in a furnace. This waste could or would have gone to landfill and is an example if the Western Cape Industrial Waste Symbiosis Program. Another important example of waste being used as an energy source as well as material reduction, is the addition of ash waste in the clay body. This ash would need to be disposed of and is sourced throughout the Western Province. All our production and dust suppression needs are sourced from captured rainwater, caught within the mine (quarry) and stored for use throughout the year. We do not use municipal drinking water in the production of our products. Further information of the sustainability of clay brick is found at; https://lnkd.in/d94kWD64 #clay #brick

Metabolic turned 12 two weeks ago! I've decided to take the opportunity to reflect on ways in which we apply systems thinking and analytical methods from academic fields like #industrialecology and #environmentalsciences in practice, in our consulting work. This week: how can we map #stocks and #flows of materials in Built Environment, and leverage those insights to make better use of #circularmaterials that are available to us in exsisting buildings? We've been developing methods and models to help answer this question since 2016, when we started collaborating with AMS Institute and Waag Futurelab on the PUMA project, and have since then we've improved our approach to develop the market for reuse oand recycling materials in a range of projects. See this article for an overview: https://lnkd.in/efT2wHXp 🏗️ At the building level (how can we reuse and recycle the materials that become available during the renovation of the headquarters of De Nederlandsche Bank (The Dutch National Bank) in Amsterdam? 🏗️ For cities: looking at the potential for urban mining and reuse and recycling in cities like Gemeente Amsterdam, Gemeente Rotterdam and Gemeente Utrecht in the Netherlands, or City of Philadelphia, City of Pittsburgh, and City Of Guelph in North America. 🏗️At the regional level (see the repost below on the opportunities in urban mining for a large post-industrialization region in Stadsregio Parkstad Limburg, for example: https://bit.ly/3zdR705 🏗️At the national level: where we quantified the material use and scope 3 carbon emissions for the Dutch construction sector (together with Copper8, Alba Concepts, and NIBE experts in sustainability). 🏗️And at the level of the European Union (EU27+UK) when the model was refined and developed further to estimate the material use and environmental impact of construction for Europe from now untill 2050 as part of our work for the Circular Buildings Coalition (together with Arup, Ellen MacArthur Foundation, Smith Innovation World Green Building Council WBCSD – World Business Council for Sustainable Development and Circle Economy, supported by Laudes Foundation). See: https://lnkd.in/e69UehgW I'm really proud of the work done with our team (past and present Joey Hodde Mink Rohmer, Martijn Kamps Sam van Hooff Elisabeth den Boer, and many others!). What started as a modelling excersize has developed into a tool that provides dozens of clients better data on the potential for material reuse and, hopefully, changed the the building sector thinks about resources and materials, in design, construction and demolition. If you're keen to learn more, or if you've got something to share, feel free to reach out! Nico Schouten Merlijn Blok Job Papineau Salm Harmen Heida Ivan Thung Liesbeth Sträter Jan van 't Hek Guillermo Corella Dekker Jorrit Vervoordeldonk #circularbuildings #builtenvironment #urbanmining

In most of the mix designs I've seen, the Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC) content has been reduced and replaced by eco-friendly materials such as fly ash, typically around 20% of the total cementitious content, resulting in so-called Geopolymer concrete. Studies have shown that this substitution improves tensile strength, especially in terms of drying shrinkage. However, personally, I think the quality of the finished product of concrete in recent housing developments, especially in high-rise projects, is adverse to the suggested properties. Although, this may be due to factors such as handling, supply, and installation, among others. More recent study on geopolymer concrete using FABA (Fly Ash Bottom Ash) is said to be earthquake-resistant based on SNI standards. More info below; https://lnkd.in/gaXtE2yt

Hemp as a building material has been making headlines again due to its ability to capture more than twice its own weight in carbon. But is the higher up-front cost of using hemp in construction and a general lack of familiarity with the material holding it back? https://lnkd.in/dexA8F5n #netzero #hempcrete #circulareconomy #sustainabilitymatters

‘It’s almost carbon-negative’: how hemp became a surprise building material #building #buildingdesign #buildingconstruction #buildingmaterials #buildingindustry #buildingperformance #buildingexcellence #buildinginnovation #hemp #hempindustry #hempproducts #hempfiber #energyefficiency #homeconstruction https://lnkd.in/eydC7X4H

Sustainable Construction Materials: A Comprehensive Guide to Responsible Aggregates and Gravel ☑ #skiphire #skip #waste #wastemanagement #construction #recycling #chesire #chester #scrap #construction #aggregates https://lnkd.in/esuDZcSU

** Thrilled to announce the publication of our article in Nature: Scientific Reports, which is about transforming construction waste into sustainable building materials! ** Construction and demolition waste (CDW) is a significant environmental problem. This study addresses this challenge by exploring the potential of recycled concrete powder (RCP) and recycled brick powder (RBP) for creating new mortar and brick materials. We successfully developed geopolymer mortar and bricks using RCP and RBP combined with a special alkaline solution. These innovative materials demonstrated impressive strength and water absorption rates within standard ranges. This research offers a promising path towards a more sustainable construction industry! By utilizing recycled materials, we can reduce reliance on virgin resources and give construction waste a valuable second life.♻️ The study delves into the impact of various factors on the strength of these geopolymer materials. #FurtherDetails https://lnkd.in/dVHm54_n #construction #sustainability #recycling #waste #innovation #geopolymer

Each Choice Counts—But Some Choices Shape the Future 🌍 Biophilic design is becoming a game changer for the built environment, improving human wellbeing and reconnecting us with nature 🌱. But as we embrace these innovations, we also need to acknowledge a critical challenge that underpins it all: CEMENT Cement is the silent backbone of our buildings, yet it’s responsible for a significant share of global CO₂ emissions. With demand for construction on the rise, and we may question if conversions could be an alternative viable solution, the industry must step up to the challenge of reducing its carbon footprint. This isn’t about undermining the progress we’ve made; it’s about amplifying our impact by addressing one of the toughest problems in construction. I believe that those in positions of influence—designers, developers, policymakers—need to be MORE CORAGEOUS. Your choices have a ripple effect, and the decisions you make today can steer the industry toward a more sustainable future. I recently read an insightful article by McKinsey that explores the future of the cement industry, touching on innovations and strategies that could transform it. It’s a must-read for anyone shaping the built environment. Are we TRUELY ready to take the bold steps needed to drive sustainable sourcing and lower-carbon solutions in construction? Or are we simply talking about it and acting on the easier sidelines 🤔